When asked to name a highlight of the legislative session, the Speaker of the House didn’t mention a piece of legislation. Instead, House Speaker Steven Tilley, a Republican from Perryville, referred to the conduct in the House during the legislative session.

“I started this session wanting to change the tenor and the tone of how things are done in Jeff City,” Tilley told reporters. “And, I think it is pretty clear that we’ve done that.”

Now, that’s easy for the head of the majority in the House to say. But it’s backed up by the House Minority Leader, Mike Talboy, a Democrat from Kansas City.

“You saw a, with the exception of maybe just a couple of times it even getting really, really chippy, I think things went really very smoothly and I think that the body’s better off for it,” Talboy stated, “because I think when you actually have substantive debate and people can listen and people can have input and have a back and forth and really vet out some of the issues, (I) think that is better for everybody.” [Read more…]

The limit of criticism was tested on the House floor as Democrats harshly criticized majority Republicans for pushing pay-day loan reform they claim is anything but.

Battle lines were drawn from the start of debate on the House floor over HB 656. Republicans pushed the measure as reform of the pay-day loan industry, under scrutiny for its extremely high interest rates and suspect tactics. Democrats railed against the measure as fake reform, an attempt by Republicans to convince the public they are reforming the industry while actually protecting it.

Things didn’t really get heated during floor debate until Rep. Mary Still, a Democrat from Columbia, proposed an amendment that would cap the annual interest rate (APR) at 99%. Rep. Ward Franz, a Republican from West Plains, offered a substitute amendment and, then, Rep. Don Wells, a Republican from Cabool, proposed an amendment to Ward’s substitute.

Still accused Republicans of orchestrating the moves so that they wouldn’t have to vote on her amendment.

“What they have done is freeze my amendment out,” Still said on the House floor. “It indicates that they are afraid to take a vote…”

With that, Still’s microphone was cut off.

Speaker Pro Tem Shane Schoeller, a Republican from Willard who was presiding, warned her to stay on topic, a comment that brought Rep. Chris Kelly, a Democrat from Columbia, to his microphone. Kelly objected to Schoeller’s contention that Still wasn’t arguing the issue at hand.

“To not let her speak is a disgrace,” Kelly told Schoeller. “She’s arguing the issue and you ought to let her do it.”

That brought Rep. Darrell Pollock, a Republican from Lebanon, to his mic.

“The lady has every right to speak on this bill. She has the time like every one of us out here,” Pollock responded, his voice rising with emotion. “We have rules for this body and these rules need to be followed. This is not some dog and pony show to get up here and poke people in the eye with.”

Passions seemed to cool; for a while.

Rep. Jake Zimmerman, a Democrat from St. Louis, stood on the floor to criticize the bill. Pollock rose again to object, calling on Schoeller to direct Zimmerman to confine his comments to the bill.

“I think your comments have gotten off the direction of the bill. I’d advise you to please stick to the bill and, while you’re witty, please keep to the bill itself and not your personal opinion,” Scheller told Zimmerman.

“Mr. Speaker, he (Pollock) might not like it, but I am speaking about the bill and, yes, I’m conveying my opinion about the bill which is what every member of this chamber is permitted to do,” Zimmerman responded. “And my opinion about the bill is that it’s a joke.”

That brought the gavel down again. Zimmerman, admonished once again, continued his criticism of the bill.

It now has advanced in the House. It needs to pass another round of voting to move to the Senate.

But partisanship can be held down only so long. Debate on the House floor veered from discussion on how best to spend state tax revenue into proposals to strip money from state officeholders.

It began with an amendment sponsored by Rep. Jamilah Nasheed, a Democrat from St. Louis, to strip $500,000 from the travel budget of Governor Nixon, also a Democrat. Republicans, who hold the majority in the House, quickly jumped on the idea. House Budget Committee Chairman Ryan Silvey, a Republican from Kansas City, endorsed the idea.

“We’ve got a pretty simply choice here,” Silvey told the body during House floor debate. “Do we let the governor continue flying around excessively on the state plane or do we help kids in inner city St. Louis who need a leg up?”

With Republican backing, the amendment easily won approval.

Not to be outdone by the Republicans, House Democrats took aim at Auditor Tom Schweich, a Republican.

Rep. Sara Lampe, a Democrat from Springfield, backed an amendment to strip $185,000 from the Auditor’s office to beef up Parents As Teachers. Lampe contended the Auditor shouldn’t receive the money, allocated to pay four salaries of positions left vacant by the previous auditor, who happened to be a Democrat.

“I have a problem with giving more money to do the same job,” Lampe told colleagues. “I also have a problem giving more money in a year when we don’t have any money.”

Democrats argued that everyone in state government is tightening their belts and the Auditor’s office should as well.

The dueling amendments discouraged Rep. Chris Kelly (D-Columbia).

“We know that the amendment is a shot at the Auditor. We know that the attack on the governor’s office was a shot at the governor,” Kelly said. “Now, we ought to stop this.”

The amendment stripping money from the governor’s office passed. The auditor amendment failed.

House Republicans claim they have wasted no time in working on job creation legislation this year. Democrats have their doubts.

House Speaker Steven Tilley, a Republican from Perryville, stated prior to the legislature leaving on its spring break that the House has acted quickly to improve the state economic climate.

“All the business groups came together and they came up with the ‘Fix the Six’ proposals and they basically said to us if you can fix these six problems that we think we can create jobs,” Tilley told reporters during a Capitol news conference. “I think there was no secret that this caucus’ top priority was addressing the 9 1/2 % unemployment that we have in this state and trying to put people to work.” [Read more…]

A major issue hangs over the heads of state lawmakers, waiting for them next week when they return from spring break.

Click for interactive Congressional District map.

House Speaker Steven Tilley, a Republican from Perryville, admits he was too optimistic when he stated at the beginning of the session that he wanted to have congressional redistricting resolved by the end of February. Still, he doesn’t believe it will be a distraction.

“And that was my point at the beginning of session. I’d like to get this moved on, so we’re not worried about it,” Tilley told reporters at the Capitol. “So, I would suspect the week we come back to session you will see some action either in the Senate or in the House.” [Read more…]

Lt. Governor Peter Kinder appears to be the leading Republican candidate for governor, but he hasn’t announced, yet.

United States Senator Roy Blunt, who kept Senator Bond’s seat in Republican hands, introduced Kinder to the Lincoln Days crowd in Springfield.

“I’m proud to introduce him tonight as he stand before you and stands with me as our lieutenant governor and, I believe, the guy who can be the next governor of Missouri, Peter Kinder,” Blunt stated.

We asked Kinder if that was an indication of how he is leaning.

“It was an indication of how he’s leaning,” Kinder responded. “And I will make a statement on the day I decide to officially announce of what I’m going to do.”

Kinder hosted the reception that opened Lincoln Days in Springfield. He shook many hands, greeted many Republicans, tirelessly working the halls and banquet rooms. He told the Missourinet in an interview that the political support among his fellow Republicans seems to be there. Indeed, it wasn’t just Blunt who speculated during the weekend that Kinder could be the next governor.

Kinder said the real test is whether he can secure the financial commitment to pay for a gubernatorial campaign. He noted that he had raised $6 million in two runs for Lt. Governor, adding that he would have to “step up his game” if he wanted to run for Governor, especially since a run in 2012 would be a run against incumbent Democrat Jay Nixon.

“That’s a daunting challenge, because an incumbent governor in our state can raise any amount of money,” Kinder told us.

Talk of Kinder for governor increased after he grave a half-hour speech at the Friday evening banquet. Kinder lashed into Nixon in the speech, criticizing him as a spectator, rather than a fighter for Missouri. Kinder did all but announce his candidacy. Still, he stopped short of any formal announcement. He said he will make an announcement in 90 days.

Missouri Republican Party Chairman David Cole shied from answering the question of whether he would like to see Kinder run.

“That’s up to Governor Kinder,” Cole stated, using the proper reference for the office. “I think that should he choose to take that jump I think he would be a great candidate and I think he’d be a great governor.”

A dominant question on the minds of many Republicans attending Lincoln Days in Springfield this past weekend was: who would be the best candidate to unseat Democrat Claire McCaskill as United States Senator in the 2012 election? [Read more…]

Governor Nixon delivers his third State of the State address tonight. The theme of this State of the State likely will resemble the themes the past two years: the state budget.

It seems the contents of the speech might focus on the same issues the governor has during his first two addresses to a joint session of the General Assembly. It might be the make-up of the audience that is different. Nixon, a Democrat, faces a legislature controlled by Republicans. Election victories in November have given Republicans a 106-to-57 advantage over Democrats in the Missouri House, 26-to-7 in the Missouri Senate. Nixon, looking toward re-election in two years, must reach compromise with Republicans to get any proposals through this year.

Republicans have firm control of the Missouri House this legislative session and might tap a rarely used power during budget proceedings.

House Speaker Steven Tilley, a Republican from Perryville, is proud of the gains made by Republicans and made that clear as he began a news conference at the Capitol.

“Let me be the first to officially introduce to you the largest Republican majority in the history of this state,” Tilley said to a thunderous ovation from the 106 members of the Republican Caucus. [Read more…]

Gov. Nixon delivers State of State address to 2010 legislative session.

Governor Nixon agrees voters sent a strong message November 2nd, but disagrees on how some have interpreted that message.

Nixon believes the anger expressed Election Day was aimed more at Washington than Jefferson City.

“We listen to the voters, but I think they spoke a national message about fiscal responsibility, one which we’re living here. They want us focused on moving this economy forward which we’re working on,” Nixon tells the Missourinet. “I think that the hyper partisanship of Washington, D. C. has turned off a lot of people.”

Perhaps, the anger was aimed at Washington, but its effect will be felt in Jefferson City for the remaining two years of Nixon’s term. Republicans already held firm majorities in the two chambers of the legislature. Now, those majorities have swollen to unprecedented levels. In the House, Republicans hold a 106-to-57 advantage over Democrats, three short of the total needed to override a gubernatorial veto. Democrats have been pushed to the edges in the Senate, where Republicans now enjoy a 26-to-8 majority, more than enough votes to override a veto.

Nixon, a Democrat, pledges to reach across the political aisle, but it will be a tougher task during the legislative session that begins at noon. Some Republican legislative leaders, in particular incoming House Speaker Steven Tilley of Perryville, have already fired partisan shots prior to the session getting underway.

Republicans might have scored big gains in November, but that hasn’t changed Nixon’s political plans. Nixon provides a brief, one word answer to our question of whether he’s going to run for re-election.

“Yeah,” he simply states.

Nixon has two years left in the current term. He would like another.

“I enjoy this job. I think that I work really hard at it. I appreciate every day the opportunity the people have given me,” Nixon tells us. “I want to keep the state moving forward and I’m going to do everything I can for as long as people let me serve in this position to do just that.”